Shipping-crate.



J. NI. ALDEHFEH.

SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. IL 1915.

Patented 111111.13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@mw/whom J. VI. ALDERFER.

SHIPPING CRATE. `APPLlcAnoN FILED JAN. 1|. 1915.

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JOI-IN M. ALDERFEBJ, OF SHARON CENTER, OHIO.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

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Application filed. January 11, 1915.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. ALDERFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sharon Center, in the county of Medina and State of Ghio,have invented new and useful improvements in Shipping-Crates, of whichthe following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in collapsible shipping packagesor crates and the object thereof is to provide an improved crate orpackage which can be easily assembled for use in connection with theshipping of various commodities, such for instance, as finished elastictires, and easily collapsed to occupy a minimum amount of space when notin use as a package.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of partsconstituting the invention to be hereinafter specifically described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereofwherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is tobe understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resortedto which come within the scope of the matter hereinafter claimed.

in the drawings in which similar reference numerals indicate like partsin the different figures, Figure 1, is a perspective view of one form ofa package embodying this invention, with portions thereof broken away;Fig. 2, is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the body member of the device;Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of packageembodying this invention; Fig. 4f, is a perspective view of the bodymember of the device shown in Fig. 3; and, Fig. 5, is an enlarged detailof the manner of uniting the various portions of the device shown inFig. 3 together.

Referring to the drawings in detail the reference numeral 1 denotes acylindrical body member preferably composed of pulpboard, straw-board,or some similar substance, formed from a single sheet of material andwith the overlapping edges of the member united together by holdingmembers, such as staples 2. The upper and lower ends of the member 1 aresimilar and are provided with a plurality of upwardly-extending lugs 3spaced apart to provide notches 4 between them and communicating withthe notches 4 are slots 5 positioned near the ends of the body member soAas to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 119115..

Serial No. 1,647.

reduce the width of the lugs 3 at the place where they unite with thebody member.

Secured to each end of the body member 1 is a head and as they aresimilar a description of one only is given.

Each head comprises a sheet of material 6 preferably of the same generaltype as the material used for the body portion 1, and the edges of theheads are provided with radially-extending lugs 7 spaced from each otherto provide notches 8 and the lugs are further provided with slots 9communicating with the notches 8 so that the lugs on the heads 6 aresimilar to the lugs 3 on the body member but extending in planes atright angles thereto. rlhe combined notches 8 and slots 9 in the headmember 6 are of suflicient width to easily receive the wider outerportion of the lugs 3 of the body member. Secured to the upper faces ofthe lugs 7 on the heads 6 are annular rings 10 preferably of wood, whichare secured in place by holding members such, for instance, as staples11. The boX in its collapsed position consists of the heads 6 and thebody member 1 which is in a flattened condition and the package isassembled by bending the sheet of material forming the body member 1into a cylinder and uniting the edges together by staples 2. rlhe headsare then positioned by forcing them downwardly over the lugs I3 of thebody member 1 and positioned during their placement so that these lugs 3will pass through the notches 8 and slots 9 of the head members, afterwhich the head members are given a partial rotation to enable theenlarged portions of the lugs 3 to interlock over the lugs 7 in theheads 6, in doing which the contracted neck portions of the lugs 3 areshifted into the slots 9 of the heads 6 and the contracted neck portionsof the lugs 7 will engage in the slots 5 in the body member. Whenassembled the heads are prevented from any reverse rotation by holdingmeans such as staples 12 which are passed through one or more of thelugs 3 and the rings 10.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 5 inelusive the body member 1 iscomposed of a strip 2O of sheet metal with the ends thereof bent to formhooks 21 and 22 which are adapted to interlock when the strip 20 is bentinto a cylindrical formation. rlhe upper ends of thecylindrically-formed members are provided with lugs 23 spaced apart toprovide openings 24 between them and ltr@ from these openings or notches24 extend horizontal slots 25. rIhe heads 26 of the device are providedwith radially-extending lugs 27 spaced apart to provide notches 28between them and communicating with the notches 28 and parallel with theouter faces of the lugs 27 of the slots 29. Secured to the lugs 27 bymeans of holding members such as rivets 30 are stiifening rings 31preferably L-shaped in cross section as shown in Fig. 5.V

The crate shown in Figs. 3-5 inclusive are assembled in precisely thesame manner as has been described with reference to Figs. l and 2 andafter being assembled the heads are prevented from shifting through themedium of holding members such as pins 3Q.

1When* it is desired to ship the materials for setting up a crateembodying this invention, the flat sheets which are afterward bent intocylinders are nested together and the heads similarly placed so as tooccupy a minimum space. The assembling of the crates and packages oi'the various members has been described.

I claim:-

, 1. A shipping package or crate comprising a cylind 'ical body memberprovided at one end thereof with a plurality of upwardly-projecting lugsspaced from each other to provide notches between them, said lugsfurther provided with slots extending from the intervening notches andpositioned near thev places where the lugs are united with the bodymember, said notches extending in a plane parallel with the outer endsof said body member, a head comprising a piece of sheeted materialprovided with radially-extending lugs 'spaced apart to provideintervening notches, slots in said lugs extending from the interveningnotches part Way through said lugs, the lugs in the head adapted toregister the notches in the body member so that the latter may be passedtherethrough and interlock with the lugs on the heads, a strengtheningring secured to the lugs on said head and cooperating with the walls ofthe notches therein to form concentric slots spaced apart and adapted toreceive the lugs on the body member whereby the lugs on the heads andthe lugs in the body member may interlock when one of the members iscircumferentially shifted with respect to the other member.

2. A shipping package or crate compris ing a cylindrical body member,the upper edge of which is provided. with a plurality ot-- spacednotches providing lugs between them, said lugs provided with transverseslots, a head-forming member provided at its marginal portion with aplurality ot radially-extending notches positioned to register with thelugs of the body member, said notches providing lugs between them, saidlugs provided with transverse slots, an annular stiliiening membersecured to said lugs and positioned with the inner :face thereoii inapproximate registration with the outer wall of the transverse slots inthe lugs ou said head and to form in connection with the inner walls ofthe notches thereof openings to receive the lugs ot' the body member,the slots in' the two members permitting circumferential shifting of onemember with respect to the other to permit the overhan ging portions ofthe lugs of the two members to interlock for holding the two inassembled relation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOI-IN M. ALDERFER.

lVitne'sses C. E. HUMPHREY, A. L. MoCLIN'rooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

